Top 15 tight ends for 2013

Editor's note: Dave Richard, Jamey Eisenberg and Nathan Zegura will share a snapshot of their rankings in January to give owners something to ponder. Teams listed indicate franchise the player was with in 2012.

After Gronkowski, Graham and Hernandez there is a lot of uncertainty at the position, so plan to get one of these guys early if possible. I can see Gronkowski being drafted toward the end of Round 1, Graham going in the middle of Round 2 and Hernandez being selected early in Round 3. ... The majority of owners are going to have to pick from the group of Witten through Gresham. Tony Gonzalez would be No. 4 if he returns, but we expect him to retire. ... Witten, Daniels, Olsen and Gresham are the safest of those tight ends because you know what you're getting. For the most part they are consistent producers and have Top 10 potential, but the upside is limited. Witten could be the No. 1 tight end if he scored more touchdowns, but he had just three in 2012 and eight the past two years. By comparison, Gronkowski has 28 receiving touchdowns the past two seasons. ... Pitta and Rudolph could each be Top 5 tight ends. They both played well in breakout campaigns in 2012 and both are worth targeting if you chose to pass on the Top 3 and draft a tight end later with a mid-round pick. ... Gates and Davis are wild cards because if they play to their potential they could also be Top 5 tight ends, but Gates struggled in 2012 despite being relatively healthy and Davis was non-existent for most of the season. Still, based on their talent level, they remain Top 10 options on Draft Day. Finley also falls into this category. ... Heath Miller would be considered a Top 15 tight end if he makes a full recovery from his torn ACL suffered in Week 16. -- Jamey Eisenberg

You already know what those first four tight ends are all about so let's jump into why Pitta is fifth. The Ravens have realized he needs to get his work to help Joe Flacco and to help the offense move downfield. He'll be fine. ... I'm not ready to call it quits on Antonio Gates, not with Mike McCoy and Ken Whisenhunt reshaping the Chargers offense. He might be more of a red-zone target and less of a big-play threat but he still will play a lot and haunt defenses if left in single coverage routinely. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him have one more good year. ... Keeping Vernon Davis in the Top 10 is a leap of faith that the Niners will get him back involved on a regular basis -- the good news is that you can wait a while longer to draft him, minimizing your risk in case he's back to role-player status in 2013. ... Here's the bottom line: If you don't want to mess around with tight ends this season, be prepared to take one with one of your first five picks. Otherwise, you might as well wait until the later rounds to take at least one tight end and play waiver wire roulette with them until you have a starter you're comfortable with. -- Dave Richard

The tight end position went from "stacked" to scary in just one year. ... Outside of the Top 4 tight ends, there are not many safe bets at the position (if Tony Gonzalez returns he would be right back in the Top 5 and be the fifth reliable option). ... Pitta has 11 touchdowns in his last 22 games and has emerged as a valuable weapon for Joe Flacco, which should only continue in 2013. ... Olsen and Daniels are both currently the second options in their respective passing games, which gives them nice upside. ... Gates could benefit from the new regime in San Diego, but I am definitely concerned he is on his last legs. ... Rudolph and Jermaine Gresham could both make nice leaps in 2013, but they have to become more consistently involved in non-scoring situations so that they can become reliable yardage producers even on the weeks when they do not score. ... Finley and Vernon Davis both have Top 5 potential, but their ability to disappear at times has been very disconcerting. ... Pettigrew is better in PPR formats. ... Dwayne Allen was far and away the better rookie tight end in Indianapolis and could really take a massive leap in his second year if his target level can increase to 6-8 per game. ... Jared Cook, Dustin Keller, Heath Miller (injury recovery), Lance Kendricks, Fred Davis and Martellus Bennett all have the potential to be solid contributors as well and their offseason movement/development is something to keep an eye on. ... If you want a steady tight end in 2013, you will have to take one early and given the depth at quarterback and wide receiver, it looks like a good idea to jump on a top tight end and wait at those other loaded positions. -- Nathan Zegura

(11:53 am ET)The Eagles released cornerback Cary Williams, who started all 32 games during his two-year tenure in Philly. Williams recorded 127 tackles, five interceptions and 24 passes defensed since joining the Eagles.

Williams, 30, was scheduled to make $6.5 million this season with a cap hit of $8.1 million.

(11:30 am ET)The Falcons signed linebacker Nate Stupar, a special teams standout, to a one-year extension for the minimum, $585,000, reports ESPN.com. Stupar ranked second on the team with nine special teams tackles, seven solo, while appearing in 15 games last season.

(10:09 am ET)The Ravens and former running back Ray Rice settled his wrongful termination grievance in January for $1.588 million, sources told the Baltimore Sun. The financial details were not disclosed until now.

In the grievance, Rice had sought $3.529 million in back pay. The Ravens cut him Sept. 8, hours after the release of a video showing Rice knocking out his then-fiancee in a casino elevator.

Rice hasn't visited any NFL teams, but he's working out regularly and hoping to latch on with a team this season, the paper said.

(9:18 am ET)Despite the fact that New Orleans is $22 million above the salary cap, Saints coach Sean Payton expressed optimism about the team's chances of re-signing free agent running back Mark Ingram, per The Advocate.

“I spoke with him today," Payton told the paper Monday nght. "The good thing about Mark is that we’re real close with his agent. We work a lot with Joel (Segal). [GM] Mickey [Loomis] will talk with him quite a bit. Obviously he’s someone that we want to keep. Hopefully we can do that.”

In 13 games last season, Ingram ran for 964 yards and nine touchdowns while catching 29 passes for 145 yards.

According to NFL.com, it's unlikely the Saints can afford to bring back Ingram.

Patriots' Devin McCourty: There's a 'chance that I might not be back'by Jason Butt | CBSSports.com

(3/2/2015)With the Patriots deciding to use their franchise tag on kicker Stephen Gostkowski, safety Devin McCourty knows his time in New England could be coming to an end.

In an interview with ESPN's Josina Anderson, McCourty said he didn't have much information on what the Patriots would do and was going off of various media reports that came down to the organization deciding whether to franchise him or Gostkowski.

Now that Gostkowski is ineligible from hitting the free agent market, McCourty will test the waters beginning on March 10.

"I guess it's more realistic now that [there's] a chance that I might not be back there," McCourty said. "Or there's still a chance that I will, but I guess [there's] more of a chance now with the franchise tag going to Steve that I could be playing in a different place. Still, keeping an open mind and trying to enjoy the process."

The Texans told Johnson that he'd have a reduced role this upcoming season opposite of DeAndre Hopkins. Therefore, Johnson wanted out of his deal. If a trade cannot be made with a suitor, Johnson will be released.

Johnson was the third overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft and is the greatest player in the history of the Texans. He's recorded 1,012 catches, 13,597 yards and 64 touchdowns in his career.

A trade could be difficult, however, based on Johnson's upcoming $16.1 million cap figure and $10.5 million base salary for the 2015 season.

(3/2/2015)Running back Vick Ballard is poised to be back in the Colts' plans for the 2015 season.

Ballard, who has missed almost all of the previous two seasons due to injuries, hasn't suffered any setbacks with his recovery, according to the Colts' official website. Ballard tore his ACL in 2013 and suffered an Achilles tear before the 2014 season.

“Vick’s doing well. He’s going through rehab right now. He’s on schedule,” Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. "He’s been working his tail. When the doctors say he’s 100 percent and ready to roll, then we’ll get him back on the field.”

Ballard led the Colts in rushing as a rookie in 2012 with 814 yards and two touchdowns. He only played in one game in 2013 before tearing his ACL in a practice the following week. His Achilles tear came during the 2014 preseason.